I’m Mal Zbikowska, a Systemic Family Psychotherapist working with individuals, couples, families and family businesses. My work is thoughtful, practical and relational, helping people navigate change, conflict and complexity with greater clarity and steadiness. I offer a calm, structured space where patterns can be understood, relationships strengthened, and decisions made with care, especially at times when family life, work and identity intersect.
Personal Touch
I’m interested in how people make sense of their lives and relationships over time, especially during periods of change or uncertainty. I believe most difficulties become more manageable when they’re understood in context rather than judged in isolation. Outside my work, I value simplicity, good conversations, and practices that support balance and long-term well-being and longevity.
Client Focus
I work best with adults and couples who are reflective, motivated, and looking to understand themselves and their relationships more deeply. People often come to me when they feel stuck in repeating patterns, facing relationship strain, anxiety, or significant life transitions.
I have particular experience supporting clients with relationship and communication difficulties, emotional disconnection, anxiety, stress, questions of identity and purpose, and the impact of family history on present-day relationships. I also work with individuals who want a steady, thoughtful space to make sense of complex situations and move forward with greater clarity and balance.
Background
I am a qualified family and systemic psychotherapist with over a decade of experience working in both public sector services and private practice. I trained to postgraduate level in family and systemic psychotherapy, building on an earlier foundation in mental health and therapeutic work.
Over the years, I have worked with individuals, couples and families experiencing relationship difficulties, anxiety, life transitions, and long-standing patterns that feel hard to change. Alongside my clinical work, I continue to engage in professional development, supervision, and reflective practice to ensure my work remains ethical, grounded and responsive. My approach is informed by systemic and relational thinking, with a focus on understanding difficulties in context and supporting sustainable, meaningful change.
Therapy Approach
My work is grounded in family and systemic psychotherapy, which means I focus on understanding difficulties in the context of relationships, life history, and the wider systems people are part of. Rather than viewing problems as located solely within an individual, I pay attention to patterns, meanings, and interactions over time.
I work in a collaborative and reflective way, helping clients slow things down, make sense of what’s happening, and consider new ways of responding. Depending on your needs, I may draw on elements of relational, psychodynamic and practical, solution-focused approaches. The aim is not quick fixes, but thoughtful and sustainable change that supports stronger relationships, emotional balance, and clearer decision-making.
Therapies explained
Systemic
Systemic therapy seeks to understand the individual in the context of the systems they are a part of, considering the interactions and relationships within families and other systems.
Family Systems Therapy
Family Systems Therapy treats the family as a system, addressing issues within the context of the family unit.
